Arizona's Initiatives and Referendums (or, What Those People With Clipboards Are Doing)

A signature-gatherer working for Safer Arizona, the campaign to legalize the personal use of marijuana.

The clipboard-wielding people are getting a little hard to avoid -- whether at your home, or out in public, there always seems to be someone with a clipboard, who wants your signature for something.

Right now, there are nine applications with the Secretary of State's office to gather signatures for initiatives or referendums, to get their issues on the ballot in 2014.

Check out brief descriptions of the nine petitions below, as well as what they need to get on the ballot in 2014. Note that these things vary greatly in financial backing (the ability to actually gather the signatures) and general legitimacy.

No Toll Roads in ArizonaSignatures Needed: 259,213Deadline: July 3, 2014Link to full text:HereDescription: According to the sponsors, this is to "Prohibit the conversion of existing publicly funded or maintained roadways into fee based managed lanes or any form of toll roads."See also:Auto Enthusiasts Want to Block Potential Toll Roads in Arizona

Label GMOsSignatures Needed: 172,809Deadline: July 3, 2014Link to full text:HereDescription: According to the sponsors, "This Article is to ensure any food offered for retail sale in Arizona is branded if it is, or may have been, entirely or partly produced with genetic engineering."

Equal MarriageSignatures Needed: 259,213Deadline: July 3, 2014Link to full text:HereDescription: According to the sponsors, "This measure will define marriage in Arizona as being a union of two persons. It will ensure the protection of religious freedoms by specifying that religious organizations, religious associations, and religious societies in Arizona will not be required to solemnize or officiate any particular marriage or religious rite of marriage." This is a proposed constitutional amendment.See also:Gay-Marriage Proponents Trying to Get Issue on Ballot: "It's Go Time"

Marijuana DecriminalizationSignatures Needed: 259,213Deadline: July 3, 2014Link to full text:HereDescription: From the sponsors: "Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Arizona; amending the Constitution of Arizona by adding Article XXXI Marijuana Regulation and Taxation, therewith, providing for the regulation of Marijuana; permitting a voting age person to consume or possess limited amounts of Marijuana; providing for the licensing of cultivation facilities, product manufacturing facilities, testing facilities, and retail stores; permitting local governments to regulate or prohibit such facilities; requiring the legislature to enact an excise tax to be levied upon wholesale sales of Marijuana; requiring half of the revenue raised annually by such tax be credited to Arizona Department of Health Services."See also:Marijuana Legalization Campaign Trying to Get Issue on Arizona Ballot

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Given the lack of AZ legislature to offer anything of any tangible problem solving for AZ citizens, I suggest voting no on all items. I may be myopic and less than educated on these issues. However, the fact that people that I did not want elected but I pay in tax dollars are unable to solve these questions without drama means they cannot be trusted.

The Medicaid amendment is a prime example. In a state full of old farts with billions of dollars that could help equal the playing field against insurance companies, the legislative pussyfarts are reverting to their Russell Pearce-my-pants strategy of bullying voters.